White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s Wednesday press briefing collapsed into chaos when journalists cornered her over President Donald Trump’s top officials attempting to pressure a Republican ally regarding the explosive Epstein files.
As she tried to justify the administration’s actions, her defense quickly unraveled, leading to a chaotic exchange and a single, stunning slip-up in her rambling response that sent the room into a frenzy.
The confrontation in question, reportedly targeting Rep. Lauren Boebert, took place in the most exclusive and sensitive command center in the White House: the Situation Room.
This space is typically reserved for high-stakes national security decisions and military strategy, not covert pressure campaigns against members of the President’s own party.
Boebert is one of just four Republicans in the House who signed a petition to force a vote on releasing the files. CNN first reported Trump officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, met with the Colorado lawmaker in the Situation Room Wednesday to try and persuade her to remove her name from the petition, something she refused to do.
Leavitt was asked about the attempts to influence the two Republicans at the White House briefing Wednesday.
“In full transparency, Karoline, why are White House officials then meeting with Representative Boebert over an effort to try and get her to not sign the petition calling for the release of the files?” a journalist questioned.
Leavitt, with barely contained anger, ranted about “transparency,” talking over reporters and raising her voice as they tried to get her to answer the question.
“Doesn’t it show transparency that members of the Trump administration are willing to brief members of Congress whenever they please? Doesn’t that show our level of transparency? Doesn’t that show the level of transparency when we are willing to sit down with members of Congress and address their concerns?” a furious Leavitt barked.
“That is, that’s a defining factor of transparency, having discussions … having discussions with members of Congress about various issues, and I’m not going to detail conversations that took place in the Situation Room, in the press briefing room,” irritably responded.
Of course, Leavitt completely missed how much her non-answer was rich with irony.
“Wait.. so it was a conversation in the situation room? Like the room they use when planning a military strike? Also, she admits that this a “situation”?” wondered Keith on Threads.
View on Threads
Another reader pointed out the hyprocrisy that seemed to miss Leavitt altogether. “It’s not transparency if you don’t share what the conversation was about. Anyway, we already know what’s going on.” Another kept it simple, “Guilty! Release the files!”
“The Bobert photo afterwards looked rough… like threats or something extremely serious happened. I don’t like her but I hope she stays with her gut on this one,” another observed.
“Why is Trump, the Attorney General, the FBI director, and Lauren Bobert meeting in the situation room about the discharge petition?! Did they threaten her?” asked another.
“In the ‘situation room’??? Wow serious situation,” this Threads user joked while another added, “They met in the f***ng Situation room? That says it all.”
The Hill is also reporting President Donald Trump directly reached out to another petition signer South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, Wednesday in a phone call hoping to sway her to change her mind, but the pair never spoke directly.
Newly sworn in Arizona Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva signed the petition on her first day in office Wednesday becoming the 218th signature. The petition now forces Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on a bill calling for the full release of the Epstein files.
“We’re going to put that on the floor for a full vote when we get back next week,” Johnson confirmed Wednesday.
Even if the House passes the measure, it’s unlikely to make it out of the Senate, and if it did somehow reach Trump’s desk, it’s highly doubtful he’d sign it, given how he and his administration have stonewalled for months, even after he campaigned on releasing the files for years.
